“Like most people when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer it affected me on a physical and emotional level. Obviously I was very concerned and emotionally depressed since I was only 58 years old. I am a medical doctor, so as you can imagine, there were several concerns about the different treatment options available; the 2 biggest ones being: first and foremost the eradication of the cancer and the second was erectile dysfunction. So I thoroughly researched all of my options.

According to Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez, benign prostatic hyperplasia – or BPH – affects about half of men over the age of 60. Occurring when the prostate becomes enlarged, the condition typically results as men age and often results in a variety of unpleasant symptoms.

While not life-threatening, this condition can press on the urethra, resulting in some side effects such as urination and bladder problems. While the exact cause of this condition is not known, a common theory points to changes in the balance of the sex hormones throughout the aging process.

The good news is that an enlarged prostate is not cancerous and it won’t increase your risk of contracting prostate cancer.

Prescription medications such as alpha-blockers are usually the first course of treatment for BPH. They work very quickly by relaxing the muscles in the bladder neck and prostate, making urination easier.

Until now, drugs and invasive surgeries were the only solutions, but now there is a new treatment that your Miami urologist is using to shrink prostates. In the past, if medications used to treat this condition stops working, the only other option was an invasive form of surgery in which the prostate was ablated or cut. This type of surgery often resulted in side effects such as ED or urinary incontinence.

Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez offers a new non-surgical procedure referred to as prostatic artery embolization, which is a minimally invasive procedure that consists of the doctor injecting small beads into the arteries surrounding the prostate that will then block the prostate’s blood supply. Consequently, the prostate begins to shrivel and shrink.

There are many treatment options available for BPH: medications, minimally invasive procedures and surgery. Which treatment option is best for you is dependent upon your overall treatment goals, the size of your prostate and your symptoms, age, and overall health.

Make sure you speak with your Miami urologist Dr. George Suarez about the different treatment options so he can recommend treatments based on your symptoms and treatment goals.